Cinema VinesMeghna Gulzar’s crime thriller Daayra opened on Friday with a sluggish response, collecting an estimated ₹85 lakh net on its first day across 2,332 screens in India. The film, which stars Kareena Kapoor Khan and Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, tells the story of two police officers who grapple with moral dilemmas after a controversial encounter linked to a brutal rape and murder case.
In the Hindi version, the film earned ₹82 lakh, while the Malayalam release added a modest ₹3 lakh, bringing the total to ₹85 lakh. The occupancy rate was just 11.1%, indicating a tepid start. This marks Kapoor’s lowest opening‑day collection in recent years, surpassing the ₹1.15 crore net earned by her 2024 film The Buckingham Murders under Hansal Mehta.
Kapoor’s brother‑in‑law, director Kunal Kemmu, also released a film on the same day. His comedy‑action feature Vibe, which stars Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava, managed to outpace Daayra with a ₹1.29 crore opening, though it too began slowly.
Critics have offered a mixed review. Hindustan Times’ Rishabh Suri awarded the film three stars, noting that the first half is deliberate rather than gripping. He praised the film’s willingness to let the investigation breathe, allowing the procedural drama to unfold at its own pace. However, he pointed out that the film sometimes lacks the urgency expected from such a disturbing case, though the second half picks up momentum and delivers a compelling conclusion that raises questions about institutions and accountability.
